How to Get Your Job Back After a No Call No Show

Maintain a calm outlook. All your employer may know is that you did not show up to work when you were supposed to. The employer may not know anything else about why you did not come to work or why you did not call. When you talk with your employer about the situation, keep this in mind throughout the conversation. Understand and respect that the employer has a business to run, and having employees at work on time is integral to the business' success.

Ask to speak with your employer to explain the situation in a respectful manner. Say, "I'd like to explain why I did not call in for work. Do you have a moment we could talk?" If possible, have this conversation in person.

Provide a brief, accurate account of why you did not call in for work. If it was due to an emergency, give details of the emergency. Detail any steps you tried to take to notify the employer of your absence. This is important if you were unable to get through to the employer by phone or other method of communication. Avoid giving a sob story, though. Remain as professional as possible, reiterating that you want to keep your job. Apologize for the confusion and inconvenience your absence caused. Acknowledging that your absence negatively impacts the business and your co-workers is important to seeing the bigger picture of your no-call/no-show.

Thank your employer for speaking with you, even if the conversation did not result in your getting your job back. Your employer has the right to terminate you if you did not abide by its notification of absence policy in most cases. Burning bridges by yelling or being disrespectful can hurt you later when you look for a new job and your potential employer hears bad reports of your attitude from your old employer.